coowaresnob1, lalitha and saltimbocca, how are you liking your pans now, half a year out? I'm not too familiar with nonstick, limited to shiny aluminum frypans, cheap but excellent heavy Tramontina stuff that holds up well, as long as I keep heat to medium. My current 3 year old pans still look and act new, no color change or major scratches. I've had no experience with nonstick saucepans, stainless steel nonstick, or any of the new ceramic coatings. I'm switching to induction next year and will need new cookware. I've been using Calphalon Tri-Ply steel for the last 12 years, and would like to go to lighter weight stuff. So I'm considering some nice heavy aluminum, but as you know, there's not a lot to choose from. I've looked at your lines, and am also interested in Mauviel M'stone, which has a non-PTFE ceramic coating similar to the Zwilling. Are they all buzz-free, or do some buzz at certain cooking levels? I'm told that my cast iron and carbon steel pans should be buzz-free, as will my one Demeyere piece, a very heavy Proline 11" skillet. I'm feeling pretty confident with frypans that I know what I need to fill in, but for saucepans I will be starting from scratch, and I'm really torn. As I said, I'd like to lighten up, and know that aluminum will be generally lighter than my old clad stuff, and should also provide nice quick but even heat, which is all good. I suspect it will perform better than clad stainless. But is that true? Will the Zwilling Spirit perform the same? I'll be needing a batterie of 2 saucepans, a saucier, a sauté pan and an 8 quart soup pot. I've no problem switching to soft spoons, whisks and such, and given the non-stick's easy cleaning, I'll happily switch to hand washing to preserve the finish. Finally, I'm very good about using cookware at the recommended heat setting. I've learned patience, and don't mind waiting for a pan to come to the right temperature. I'm not the only cook in the house (ok, I'm the only SERIOUS cook) and have no problem getting a couple of cheap skillets for my Dude and mother to abuse. They're used to certain pans being off-limits. :) So.... given all I've laid out, do you think I'd be happy for a long time with any of these cookware lines? I think so, but of course that's wishful thinking, based on not much fact. Your opinions and experiences are VERY welcome!

Hi Shaun: I'm one of those who has a cookware set (Cuisinart) and find that I don't use half the items. If I were to do it again, I'd buy specific items for specific tasks. Before going any further in your shopping, take fifteen minutes to read the post at the link. It's pretty technical, but even if you retain only a tenth of the info you'll still know more than the average sales clerk at a kitchen store. My own preferences: I love Le Creuset dutch ovens (okay, they call them French ovens, but that's just Gallic arrogance), and their imitators seem to cook nearly as well at a fraction of the price. I got a set of three different sized nonstick skillets at Sam's a few years back for some low price. I like well seasoned black cast iron skillets. And I wouldn't think of having a kitchen without a pressure cooker. Here is a link that might be useful: understanding stovetop cookware

I just got a Martha Stewart enameled cast iron casserole - the 2.75 qt for I think $29? I'm in love with this pan. Heats evenly and well on the ol' portable induction. I might get the bigger one if I find it marked down. Browns things well without burning. Pans I think are needed depend on family size, how often you entertain and for how many. The venerable chicken skillet (12-14" heavy straight tall sides and a lid), egg pan (8" non-stick), chefs pan (10-12"), couple of 2-3 quart pans for veg, couple of small pans (1-4 cups) for cooking cereals, melting butter or reheating soups, one 6 quart pot(s) for making soup, chili, stock, pasta. A non-stick griddle. Maybe a 12" black steel frying pan, maybe a larger stock pot - like a 12 qt. Not criticizing johnlin, but I can't imagine what needs a 20 qt pot. Flotilla of lobsters? Tomato sauce for the jolly green giant? One of those things where you cook the pig head? Seriously, other than canning, what's it used for? I'm kinda agnostic about woks. Partly that's because they don't work well on my p.o.c. range. Brightens up Maybe I can get an iron one and use it on the induction.

I got tired of throwing out wrecked nonstick pans about 15 years ago and bought a cast iron skillet. Very frequent use ever since then, and I've lived in places with electric cooktops and now have a glass smoothtop, and no damage yet, even though I can be pretty klutzy at times and also don't have normal strength in my hands. That said, my cast iron is only a 9" and I have a larger All Clad stainless pan for larger sautes and stir frying, so I don't know how I'd do with a bigger, more heavy cast iron pan. You don't have to keep a cast iron pan completely away from any touch of detergent, but then again, you don't need detergent to get it clean. What germs do people think are living on there after the thing's been heated on the stove?? My preferred method of cleaning is with a stiff *natural* bristled brush and hot water, and then bung it in the oven with a little oil on it and heat it briefly to dry. Works best if you do it while the cast iron is still a little warm, which it will be if you just leave it in the sink while you eat. It can be a little hard to find the right kind of brush, since so many dishwashing brushes are plastic (ugh), but I believe Lodge sells a brush at what is probably a healthy price. I get my natural bristled dish brushes at a Vietnamese market for 99 cents each or so. There are a number of folks on Youtube with videos demonstrating how to take a new, rough-surfaced cast iron pan of the Lodge type, sand down the surface with a power sander and then re-season the whole thing, and you get a glassy smooth surface like the vintage cast iron pans have. That's a little too much heavy work for me, though. Via Youtube I also discovered a new brand of cast iron skillet called "Stargazer," which was originally a Kickstarter project, they say, and manufactured by the old methods creating a smooth surface. Looks pretty, but the price is, by my standards, rather breathtaking - $88 for a 10.5 inch pan. It could be worth it if you keep it for decades, though, and no reason you can't. http://www.stargazercastiron.com/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZmNyOCzpC8 (To the person wondering what a "spider" is: There is an old style of cast iron pan called a "spider" which has legs on it and can be set directly on the coals of a campfire. For all you Laura Ingalls Wilder fans, there is a description of this in the books. I think there are manufacturers still making them for very hardy campers who don't mind carrying an iron pan with them, or you can buy vintage.)